Despite the fact that now it is easy to get any information, there are still myths that are passed down from generation to generation. It is not difficult for modern scientists to prove that these are false facts that should not be trusted.
10. It will be 7 years before chewing gum is digested
Do not swallow gum, because in large quantities, it can cause bowel obstruction. However, a small piece of chewing gum will not do much harm and come out, like all undigested residues. When we eat, food enters the stomach through the esophagus. There it is processed by acids and enzymes, it begins to decay. Then it enters the intestine, where its breakdown continues. Nutrients are spent on the needs of the body, and undigested waste is sent to the colon. The basis of chewing gum is not digested by the stomach, but it does not remain in it, but is excreted as well as other unprocessed residues.
9. The ability to collapse the language “tube” - hereditary
Many scientists used to believe that ability depends on genes. If the child’s parents can do this, then he should succeed. In 1940, Alfred Stertevant established that this skill is determined by the dominant gene. Now this statement is not considered indisputable. Modern scientists do not deny the fact that genetics affects this skill. But there are other factors. Philip Matlock gathered 33 pairs of twins and asked everyone to roll their tongue with a straw. Most of them confirmed Stertevant's theory, since both twins could either do this or not. But among them there were 7 couples in whom one possessed this skill and the other did not. This means that explaining everything only with genetics will not work.
8. Carrots improve night vision
It is a common misconception that, if desired, you can learn to see in the dark if you have a lot of carrots. Carrots contain a lot of beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A. It is necessary for the production of proteins of opsins and rhodopsins. If the body lacks Vitamin A, a person begins nictalopia. This is a special visual disorder in which he does not see at dusk. This means that foods rich in vitamin A can help, provided that the person is sick, and they are not able to improve the night vision of a healthy person.
7. We use only 10 percent of the “power” of the brain.
This myth appeared in the middle of the last century, when not much was known about the work of the brain. Scientists have discovered that the brain is made up of neurons that create electrical signals. Moreover, only part of the neurons “works”, the rest do not generate impulses, i.e. "Lazy." There are billions of neurons in the brain, so it’s impossible to measure all their activity. Then they took a small part of the brain and determined the percentage of active neurons. This percentage was small. And scientists concluded that most of the brain is not involved. But the brain is a complex structure, each area of which is responsible for something of its own. All neurons cannot work simultaneously. So, when we walk, the neurons responsible for the walking process begin to work. If we do not move, they become inactive. When we are silent, the neurons that control speech stop working. That is, we use our brain to the maximum, but different areas of it work at different times.
6. If you shave your hair regularly, it will grow thicker and darker
Trichologists say this is a common misconception. A person is born with a certain amount of hair follicles. Regardless of whether a person shaves hair or not, it no longer becomes. As for color, in children the hair becomes thicker and darker with age, regardless of whether they shaved their heads in childhood or not. Shaving does not affect the structure of the hair, this is a proven fact.
5. Teenagers have acne from chocolate
There are no scientific facts proving the connection between the use of chocolate and the appearance of acne, both in adolescents and in people of a different age category. Studies have been conducted to confirm or refute this claim. Jennifer Barris, lead author of this work, who, with her team, analyzed data from 1960–2012, says they’re not sure if chocolate can cause acne outbreaks, or if it increases this inflammation. While there is no data, referring to which we could talk about the effect of chocolate on the occurrence of acne. But over time, it is possible that scientists will be able to prove this connection.
4. We lose most of the heat through the head.
This myth appeared in the 1950s, and in 2006 they were able to refute it. People were placed in cold water, putting them in a wetsuit. The head then remained above the water, then plunged into it. And at the same time they checked how much heat the body was losing at that time. Calculations showed that heat loss depends on the area of the skin and is approximately the same everywhere. Over the head we lose about 7% of the heat. In 2008, repeated studies were carried out, which confirmed that 7 to 10% of the heat could go through it.
3. We have five senses
Aristotle wrote about the existence of 5 senses: hearing, sight, touch, taste and smell. But modern doctors believe that this is not so. So far, scientists have not agreed on exactly how many feelings a person has. Some are sure that only 3. Others have up to 33 different feelings. We feel imbalance, we have a feeling of pain, etc. Most scientists believe that we have 21 feelings.
2. Hair and nails continue to grow after death
In order to grow, they need glucose. When people die, their cells do not receive nutrients. This is just a myth, but it did not appear by chance. After death, the human body is dehydrated, which changes the structure of the skin. The part of the nails or hair that was previously under the skin becomes visible. Because of this, it seems that they have grown.
1. The habit of crunching with knuckles leads to arthritis
There is not a single study that would prove that the habit of crunching fingers can cause noticeable harm. Several groups of scientists tried to find this relationship, but not one of them was able to prove that arthritis develops later among lovers to stretch bones. The only thing that Jorge Castellanos and David Axelrod managed to find out is that because of the habit of cracking fingers, a person begins to squeeze his palm more weakly, he has more noticeable swelling. But it is possible that these health problems are caused by joint pathology, and not a bad habit.